https://youtu.be/h0KL5jovW14

Oh the wonderful world of hair. 

As I said in my last post I decided to really shake things up after not having dyed my hair for almost two years. What's odd is that prior to those two years I would change my hair color every five to six months. 

And I mean REALLY change my hair. Like from blonde to black to red type of change. I always felt like it freshened things up a bit and there is nothing more empowering than looking in the mirror and seeing a new you.

It's February which means the arrival of the sometimes dreaded/sometimes wonderful day that is Valentines day. I can't sit here and pretend I've always been a Valentine's day supporter. But, in more recent years, I've just sort of thought hey, it's a day about love. Who doesn't want to be supportive of that?

Better yet, who doesn't love the colours associated with Valentine's day? Give me pinks and red with hearts galore, I'll take it all! Red roses and boxes of chocolate I mean, seriously, send them to yourself if you want. 

The look I wanted to achieve is a little more heavy than what I would usually wear. I wanted to incorporate the red tones with the gold lid which makes a very nice combination. If you wanted to make it more subtle you can use a white toned shadow all across the lid. It's all about your preference. 

I'm in an utter state of shock that the first month of the year is already over. I mean it's honestly blowing my mind how quickly this month went. Just thinking back to the beginning of the month when I was in Canada to now is unbelievable. 

I'm not sure that I accomplished everything I wanted to for the start of the year; but I am definitely making progress with some of my goals. There's going to need to be more effort on my end to make them all work out so that's going to be my main focus in February. Just zoning in and doing the work. 

I am also really liking the blog scheduling that I planned out where I post every Tuesday and Saturday. It gives me enough time to think out thoughtful posts and not just rush them out. I think I resented how difficult December blogging was but I was working so many hours at work, planning for holiday fun, & being just genuinely extremely busy. It wasn't a good combination AT ALL.

Now that I've settled back into a routine I can talk about all the things I was loving in January. For some odd reason I stopped doing these posts even though they are some of my favorites to look back on!

Sometimes I think about how exciting the world of makeup has become and it makes me all bubbly. With the internet and social media so many new and incredible makeup companies have come out of the woodwork. Colourpop, a hero amongst men, is one of these companies. 

Last year I challenged myself to wear red lipstick every single day of December. Now, if anyone knows what this entails, it's a lot of smearing and wiping and double checking that it isn't on your teeth or all the way up by your nose. In short, it's exhausting. 

However, throughout my travels I have come across a select number of lipsticks that are literal red lip heaven. No smearing, long lasting, and all around great color payoff. 

So if you have been searching for the perfect red for your holiday season, then look no further!

So we've done outfits, budgeting, and gift guides... but still no makeup?! Well lads that's about to change because I have finally found a Christmas makeup look I'm loving. It's full of burnt oranges, reds and  browns which are seriously my favorite pigments at the moment. There is something about doing a smokey eye with those shades that makes me feel so empowered. I also don't claim to be a makeup expert but I do love the stuff and have been on a very up & down journey since grade seven! Does that qualify me? I vote yes. 

So, as so many online retailers do, ASOS' website has created gift guides for their customers needs. I thought it would be nice to pick through these gift guides and find my favorites! 

I love ASOS, which might sound weird for European viewers, because it just isn't as big of a company in the U.S. But it has so many incredible choices in both high end and affordable price points. Honestly, since finding ASOS I haven't needed to scan through Nordstrom's website - which used to be my favorite site!

And now for the gift guide...

As cliché as it may be I am such a sucker for Bath & Bodyworks products. It's funny that this company has literally been around for so many years and still comes out with such successful products. The candles are honestly unlike any other candle I've ever had. So, naturally, when my favorite time of the year rolls around I am equally as excited for the B&B Christmas Range. 

Here are a few of my current favorites from the Christmas line!